 Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Le Grand Bornand, Combloux, Morillon, Samoens - 1 hr from Geneva all French family friendly resorts.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Clarrylove, welcome to snowheads.  nowhere in France is quiet at half term because it's absolutely peak French holiday time too. I have an apartment in Les Saisies. I don't rent it out but there are plenty that do. Few Brits, but still busy at half term - I make myself scarce. Outside peak times it's very quiet, no queues. People who went to Valloire at half term reported it was not bad, and I think Les Contamines also got some good write ups.
Praz sur Arly (linked to Les Saisies by lift) might be worth trying too - it's a fair bit quieter than Les Saisies at half term. The skiing there would suit you - blues and reds, and a fast 6 man chair to get you up the mountain - I have been over there at half term when LS is very busy and found no queues for that lift. There's a jumping pillow in Les saisies but I think they're found pretty well all over, these days. The resort websites are a good place to look for links to accommodation of all sorts.
Praz sur Arly is an easy drive - just a bit further along the road from Megeve (to which it's not linked by lift). The area as a whole has 185kms of lift linked pistes, mostly intermediate, so should suit you well.
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Thanks, Pam. Some fabulous info there. We are starting our search early this year so hopefully we will find something within budget. I will check out those places.
If not, then I think we will have to skip it a year (these darn school absence rules). Really don't want to do that as the boys have the momentum now but I'll be blowed if we are paying triple the price for that week.
Someone we know has skied in Moldova and recommended that (obviously not self drive) and I guess we could explore that option too. Anyone know anything about skiing in Macedonia? 
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Clarrylove, you might like Champoluc in Italy and guess what? I know of accommodation ... PM on its way...
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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can t beat Ste Foy....can t you find any othr accomodation ??
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Clarrylove, My apartment is vacant from the 15th Feb right above the deck in Ste Foy?
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Clarrylove, Our studio apartment, ideal for a family of 4, is available for half term week. We will be staying there for most of the season but will be back home during the peak holiday weeks. If you want something slightly bigger we can find you other similarly priced, privately owned accommodation for that week.
We are based in Champagny en Vanoise, a relatively quiet, family friendly resort but linked to the La Plagne / Paradiski area.
There is an air bag (jumping pillow) in the snow park above Belle Plagne which is easily accessible from Champagny. You do have to pay extra to use the airbag though.
I will send you a PM (private message) with more details.
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Fogliettaz, that might be the best option really if we can find something we can afford. Can you please pm me?
Thanks for the various suggestions. Will look through them later with my husband.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Quote: |
You do have to pay extra to use the airbag though.
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I suspect that's the same all over - certainly is in Les Saisies. You can't break your neck for nothing!
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Clarrylove, Serre Chevalier would be perfect for you.... 250km of pistes, very quiet town and relatively inexpensive.
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Clarrylove, is half term the only time you can do? Christmas in the mountains is great, and a lot less crowded than half term IME. Depending on when the Easter holidays are, that can be excellent. The first half of April provides some super ski conditions (not everywhere, there are some resorts which would not be sensible then, and Praz sur Arly is one of them). Nice long days, not so cold, and in France it's low season for accommodation costs (and ski lessons). Christmas and Easter are both hugely preferable to half term in my book.
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You know it makes sense.
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Clarrylove, message sent.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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| tomb wrote: |
| Clarrylove, Serre Chevalier would be perfect for you.... 250km of pistes, very quiet town and relatively inexpensive. |
Generally agree, though watch the timing if driving - one half term it took 18 hours from getting off the ferry to getting on resort (Chantemerle), the last piece of the drive up through the mountains taking over 6 hours in solid traffic. Lyon and Grenoble were also real bottlenecks.
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Poster: A snowHead
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watch the timing if driving
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this is key. You need to avoid driving into (or away from) the resorts at the same time as everybody else. Either aim to arrive very early in the morning (which with kids can be problematical because of lack of access to accommodation) or in the early evening, when the traffic jams have died down. Leave either crack of dawn or - better - after a quiet handover day's skiing. Booking hotel rooms for the Friday night, anywhere near the resorts (e.g. Chambery, Albertville, Grenoble) has to be done well in advance is plenty of other people have the same idea.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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pam w, This is what we do. It takes all the stress out of the journey. We also leave late on changeover day and stay somewhere a few hours away which means an extra day skiing and a shorter trip home.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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If you get into St Foy then there is a reciprocal arrangement with Tignes for a days reduced pass. Tignes has two free air bags.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Hmmm. half term ........ quiet ........... hmmmmmmm.
Try somewhere like Kronplatz. Look for accommodation on the website at www.kronplatz.com and search for self catering somewhere in St Vigilio or Olang. You should find the skiing good and are less likely to come across many other Brits on half term than in more well known resorts.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| pam w wrote: |
| Clarrylove, is half term the only time you can do? Christmas in the mountains is great, and a lot less crowded than half term IME. Depending on when the Easter holidays are, that can be excellent. The first half of April provides some super ski conditions |
Big fat +1. No idea when the Easter holidays fall, but late March/early April is one of the best times to be in the mountains.
Clarrylove, are you set on France, or open to Switz/Austria/Italy too?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Saint Martin de Belleville
Good links to the rest of the trios Vallées and still has a traditional feel to it
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If it has to be France, easter is the best family time (low season, long days, warm weather, good piste skiing).
If it has to be half-term, Italy (no hols at that time, Aosta valley easy driving [avoid peak times], Champoluc would be ideal).
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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dennisp, why the shock reaction? The website describes the studio as "ideal for families on a budget" and you can rent it in January or end of March for £295 a week. Sounds good to me. And it's 100m from the main lift - nice village, excellent ski area. A lot of families would not be able to afford ski holidays if they insisted on palatial accommodation and many would much prefer a smaller apartment near the lifts and facilities than a bigger one further away (which is often the trade-off).
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Sorry, wasn't being rude, but family,studio, and ideal doesn't sound like it goes together to me.
Understand the trade off thing and apologise if it came across wrong
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Les Contamines for me. Easy drive, not too big nor too small, fabulous setting under Mt Blanc. Plenty of easy runs (and some challenging stuff too).
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You know it makes sense.
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| laundryman wrote: |
| Les Contamines for me. Easy drive, not too big nor too small, fabulous setting under Mt Blanc. Plenty of easy runs (and some challenging stuff too). |
+1. We went late French holidays earlier this year and it was deserted in comparison to the big name resorts. Sometimes we had to wait in lift queues for nearly a minute  Some nice gentle runs down the middle and a few nice big wide reds but I never got to enjoy them more than once. Pesky kids with no sense of fear :grrrr:
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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More replies! I can't keep up. Lol. Fab to see such an active website though and so many and knowledgeable skiers!
I guess we could go at Easter.... My thinking was that as Easter is so late next year (schools break up on 4 April) we might be unlucky with the snow. We would need the higher resorts I guess....more investigation required. We were thinking France as the closest for driving.
I don't think a studio is for us really. We like to put the kids to bed and relax with a film and a glass of wine. Would rather have more space and be further from the slopes ....or dare I say it, stay at home. 
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Poster: A snowHead
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Clarrylove, are you an Archers fan?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Clarrylove, the first half of April should be fine in many places, though not the lowest resorts. There is plenty of accommodation available and in France it's low season, so you don't really need to decide now if you are self-driving. Most seasons you would be OK in most resorts in the northern Alps but it's sensible to wait and see.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Laundryman - yes! Do you, erm..., do a lot of laundry?
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Clarrylove, not if I can help it!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| pam w wrote: |
| Clarrylove, the first half of April should be fine in many places, though not the lowest resorts. There is plenty of accommodation available and in France it's low season, so you don't really need to decide now if you are self-driving. Most seasons you would be OK in most resorts in the northern Alps but it's sensible to wait and see. |
+1, if there's no need to book flights, wait and see how the season pans out, then book accomm nearer the time in whichever area is looking best.
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Clarrylove, We would have offered you our 3 bedroom apartment but that booked up some time ago.
I do know of a couple of good quality 2 bedroom apartments still available, a bit further away from the slopes , maybe 200 to 250 metres.
They are still relatively good value, one in particular and we have stayed in both in the past so can recommend them from personal experience.
PM if that seems of interest and I will send you more details.
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FAQ
) and so we are having to look for other options. We are stuck with Feb half term which doesn't help I know.
